The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately vacate the presidential seat following the official admission that he (Buhari) does not possess a WAEC certificate.
Contrary to Buhari’s claims and disposition before the law, the PDP has urged the judiciary to uphold justice on the matter.
The PDP’s reaction is sequel to plea by Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who recently through a video wherein the Minister pleaded with Nigerians to pardon President Buhari over his false WAEC certificate claims.
Specifically, the PDP surmised that President Buhari should save the judiciary and the nation further troubles by immediately throwing in the towel. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan stated this while addressing newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.
According to Ologbondiyan, it is a deliberate ploy for the minister to appeal to sentiments, seeing that Mr. President had failed to defend himself before the Presidential petition tribunal.
“The PDP holds that if President Buhari indeed seeks for pardon from Nigerians, he should do the needful by toeing the path of honour and vacating the Presidential seat without further delay.
“The party berates the Buhari Presidency for believing that in pushing the video into the public space, it could influence the mind of the tribunal to bend the law after solid evidence have been presented before it against President Buhari.
“The PDP holds that the pronouncement and appeal for pardon issued by the government’s spokesperson, who is also a lawyer, is a direct guilt plea, which cannot save President Buhari from the course of justice in this matter,” he stated.
Ologbondiyan pointed out that from the official pronouncement by the Minister on a national television, it is no longer in dispute before all Nigerians that President Buhari does not possess the educational certificate he claimed in the affidavit he deposed to in his Presidential nomination form.
Describing the video as latest shenanigan, the NPS further noted that the handlers of Buhari ought to have known that the law, which the judiciary is bound to uphold, is a respecter of no man.
He further reminded President Buhari of how his Presidency vehemently applied the law in similar circumstance to remove a head of an arm of government and that similar situation has rendered his plea for pardon a complete nullity before the law.
“The PDP therefore urges the Judiciary to consider the evidence before it and rescue our nation by expediting its verdict to point to nothing other than the justice of the matter in the Presidential election petition,”Ologbondiyan noted.
SOLOMON AYADO, Abuja
